2007

SEStran has reaffirmed its supprt for the development of a high-speed rail link running from Scotland to London.

In a detailed response to a consultation carried out bty the Department for Transport (DfT) SEStran :

·Confirms its support for the construction of a High Speed Line between London and Birmingham as a first stage of a National Network.

·Argues that government commitment must be given to a national network to include Scotland.

·Recommends that serious consideration should be given to the next phase being at the northern end of a London – Edinburgh/Glasgow network, possibly starting at the same time as construction of lines between Birmingham and Leeds/Manchester.

·Recommends that planning of the network north of Leeds/Manchester must start without further delay

·Argues that Edinburgh should be served by High Speed Rail services immediately following completion of the line between London and Birmingham

SEStran also responded to the Westminster Transport Select Committee (WTSC), confirming its support for High Speed rail as a vital component in linking Edinburgh with the other major cities of the UK.

The joint Regional Transport Partnership (RTP) joint Chairs also confirmed their support for high speed rail, both individually and collectively.

SEstran Chair, Russell Imrie said :

“SEStran fully supports the plan to build a high speed rail link from Scotland to London”.

“We believe that this is vital for the economic and environmental future of the SEStran region and of the country as a whole”.

“High speed rail offers a viable alternative to air travel for business and leisure travellers planning long distance travel within the UK”.

“There are strong arguments that the construction of the network should not just be a progression of phases heading slowly northwards but that construction should take place simultaneously in several places, including Scotland. Indeed, the High Speed Line in Scotland would have the greatest potential to reduce journey times, which has shown to be the most important element for a strong business case”.

In order to lend its weight to the campaign to ensure that high speed rail reaches Scotland, SEStran will be continuing its membership of Greengauge21 which supports the case for the developmentof a comprehensive network of high- speed rail routes, linking Britains’ major towns and cities.

SEStran - South East of Scotland Transport Partnership - is one of seven new Statutory Regional Transport Partnerships (RTP) created by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2005 and is currently the secretariat to the seven chairs of the RTPs.